World by the Heartstrings
by DestinyIntertwined
Summary: He brought the world to its knees, instilling fear in all those around him. He burned cities, men, women and children without a care in the world. It was only a matter of time before someone decided that enough was enough.FutureWardenxOC
1. Ashes to Ashes

World by the Heartstrings

Chapter 1: Ashes to Ashes

"Burn it all down!" he crowed gleefully, yellow-tinted glasses reflecting the horrified faces of the innocents. His choice of apparel was a black fitted military uniform that was flecked and speckled with blood. Dark boots were also caked in different hues of crimson. A dark, purple cape twisted and swayed behind him like a serpent as he showed off the gap in his teeth with a wide grin.

The air was hot and thick among the cooling bodies of the dead and the decaying. A stench of burnt flesh clung to a breeze that washed over the weak and the vulnerable as they quivered in the presence of their new Lord.

The Warden.

The Warden and his minions marched their way into the city, the footsteps of his soldiers thundering against the earth as they continued to torch trees and litter the streets with charred remains of civilians. They cackle beneath their deep, violet helmets, mixing with the howls and shrieking of the children as they sliced away at them with their bayonets. Their glowing yellow eyes and gapped-tooth grins mimicked that of their General.

A violent cough sounded, but it was easily drowned out by the chaos of the city. Mahogany eyes peeked out beneath a greasy and tangled mass of black hair as she weakly shoved aside the bodies that blanketed her suffocated form among the heat of the enflamed city. Her face was masked with dirt as well as purpling and yellowing bruises, imitating the colors of the very people that had bestowed them upon her. A light sheen of sweat covered her body, causing her black shorts and blue shirt to cling to her frail body.

Slowly she stood, shaking violently while doing so. The nineteen-year-old finally rose from the black dirt, ash adhering to her bloodied shins. After a couple of minutes of attempting to steady herself, she frantically observed her surroundings. Everything was in ruins and the Superjail troops had retreated to another part of the city, most likely to search for any survivors to place in camps. Sadness squeezed at her heart like a vise that constantly choked her into soft sobs as she stared at the limp and sallow-skinned bodies of her friends, family and countless civilians.

The diminishing fires crackled softly as they spewed out toxic fumes that blackened the sky, the sun desperately trying to peek out beneath it before it was slowly smothered and died away.

Slowly she scuttled forward, stumbling slightly due to her aching and swollen feet. Wincing, she walked a little slower, a slight limp in her step as her mind began to cloud with unadulterated rage for the Warden. A low growl bubbled up her throat and pushed passed her torn lips. Oh, how she would make him suff-

Her pleasant fantasy of tearing the Warden apart was sadly spoiled by an abrupt shove to her chest, causing her to stumble and fall onto her backside with a groan. She tilted her head upward. She stared wide-eyed at the man that towered over her as he flashed her a manic, gapped-tooth grin, his long, flowing cape of violet dancing behind him.

"Well, well! Look at you! Aren't you a little trooper?" he cooed mockingly as he pressed the bottom of his ebony cane into the sternum of her chest.

It was The Warden himself.

The Warden's thumb played over a button that protruded slightly from the amber sphere that sat atop his cane. His gloved hand tightened around it, making the black-fitted leather around his hand squeal in protest.

He applied even more pressure to her sternum, to which she grunted slightly in response. She coiled her fingers into the muck, pressed the palms of her blistered and tender hands into the ruby soil in defiance, and pushed back against the cane.

"Hm? Stubborn aren't you?" he murmured quietly as he finally pressed down on the button that he had hesitantly been brushing over ever so gently. She gasped sharply as a blade was unsheathed from within the cane, stabbing through the supple skin and muscle before digging into the bone of her sternum. She let out a small whimper as her breaths came out unevenly. She tried to withstand the pain as blood beaded out beneath the blade. Such a deep wound wouldn't kill her, but it would surely leave a nice scar.

Holding back a wince, she glared at him furiously as maroon clashed with black eyes shielded by yellow-tinted glasses. She could not and would not submit; she had to be strong even though she could taste copper in her mouth and felt a warm liquid pooling beneath her tongue.

The grin curling his lips seemed to widen, looking as if it would split his face in two. He bent down to her level, sinking down on one knee before lurching to a position within one inch of her face. Though she was disgusted with the close proximity, she did not yield. Shuddering, she felt his breath warm over her cheeks as the faint smell of mint stung her nostrils.

"So, what's your name, my little one?" he chirped darkly as he twisted the cane's dagger into the soft flesh of her breastbone. She could feel the cold metal burning and biting into her skin as it grinded against bone. She heaved and coughed out a whimper, beginning to tremble as the pain set her nerves on fire.

"My name...is Sarah Jennings," she spat out as she clenched the ground beneath her harder in response to the throbbing within her chest. The blade continued to slice away at muscle with every twitch of his hand.

The Warden's eyes widened at her name, before erupting in what was probably the goofiest laugh she had ever had the displeasure of hearing. Still in a fit of giggles as he retracted his cane, to her relief, he slapped at his knee like he had just heard her crack the funniest joke ever. Sarah stared at him like he was completely mad and furrowed her brows in confusion. Fear began to coil itself inside her belly while he rose from the ground, his shadow engulfing her figure.

"Well, Sarah, lets get together some time. But for now...have a nice day!" He grinned sinisterly as he gripped the opposite end of his cane, the amber orb facing her. He pulled back the cane like one would when about to strike a golf ball as he lined it up parallel to her face. The coil in her stomach tightened as she realized his intent, but the blood spouting out from the center of her chest slowed her efforts from blocking.

WHACK.

The next sound to follow was Sarah's unconscious body colliding with the ground, blood running from the spot on her head where he had struck so forcefully.

**A/N: Well here's the first chapter, I would appreciate some feedback so please leave a review of what you thought of the first chapter of **_World by the Heartstrings._** I don't appreciates flaming, I have no problem with a some criticism but if you have nothing kind to say then don't read my story. Plain and simple.**

**I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, the second chapter should be out next weekend. **

**P.s. Can you guess why the Warden was laughing?**


	2. Law of the Universe

World by the Heartstrings

Chapter 2: Law of the Universe

Sarah's head pulsated in irritating rhythms while her heart continued to spasm beneath her ribs. She squirmed as her breastbone sent shooting pains down her torso. Her eyelids felt as if they were glued together, it took some effort to pry them open. She cringed, her vision distorted by the light that suddenly began to pierce her retinas.

"Ugh..." Sarah rasped while squinting, her throbbing head dulling to no more than a light hum.

"Good to see yer alright, kid," replied a gruff voice. as The stranger removed the flashlight from her view, leaving spots to dance about her vision.

Blinking the dots out of her eyes, she stared at the man kneeled before her as he tucked away his mini-flashlight before pulling out some clean bandages. He was probably somewhere around his 50s, with graying hair and rough wrinkles etched into his face. His right eye had an iris the shade of the oceans of the Caribbean while his left eye was a milky white. A ragged scar started above his left brow before streaking down vertically. It met his top eyelid before disappearing into the snowy white of his eye and then reappearing at his bottom lid. The scar seemed to become thinner and smoother as it continued to streak downward, finally ending at the point of his stubbled chin.

"Yer real lucky ya know. Not many survive these raids," he stated, looking up to meet her eyes once in a while as he bandaged her shins.

Sarah looked down at her lap, tears striping her cheeks and jaw. A flush of red dispersed across her cheeks as she took notice of her missing shirt and crisp white bandages binding the wound on her chest.

"Y-you t-took off my s-shirt?" She yelled, her voice thick from crying.

"Shush, kid! Ya want The Warden's convicts to mosey on into the building? I was damn lucky enough that the SJ troops left this building still standing, do you want them to come back? Lower yer damn voice." He growled as he tightened the bandage on her shin, forcing Sarah to elicit a yelp.

"Sorry..." she murmured quietly.

His eyes softened as he patted her knee lightly, "S'alright, kid. Don't worry, I didn't do anything to ya. Besides, I'm too old fer that kind o' crap."

"Real funny," she said as she wrinkled her nose in distaste.

There was a moment of silence between the kind yet rugged stranger when he finished bandaging her wounds.

"So...what's your name?" asked Sarah. "I mean, I can't keep calling you stranger..."

"...'Names Ace. Ace Vanderhide," he muttered as he tied the bindings and sat back, patting and swiping at the dirt on his camouflage pants and combat boots. He continued to do the same to his faded green military jacket and white bloodstained T-shirt.

Sarah began playing with the corner of a lone tile that stuck up from the cold, marble floor of the room. Desks and chairs were thrown about, and random papers and file cabinets littered the room, as did miscellaneous pieces of glass and debris from the shattered windows.

"I'm Sarah Jenning's, nice to meet you," she quipped, a small smile lilting her swollen lip. "Thank you for all your help. I'm pretty sure I'd be dead if it wasn't for you."

"S'not a problem, I wasn't gonna just leave ya there," he finished hastily. "Now on another note, who gave ya that pretty bump on yer head? And that lesion on your chest? That was done cleanly, went straight for the sternum, whoever did that to ya had serious intentions of torturin' ya," he stated as he rubbed his jaw in thought. "It wasn't that damn Jailbot was it?" he spat, eyes storming with hate.

"What? Jailbot?" she asked perplexed. "No! That Psycho Warden did!"

"The Warden?" he seethed, as his countenance contorted into one of fury. His wrinkles seemed to tighten over his face and a frown marred his lips as his face melted from conveying anger to conveying worry.

"Listen, kid. The Warden, never lets _anyone_live. I witnessed that on the battlefield and on the streets. Woman or child, no one is safe from The Warden's wrath." He sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Hold on a second, you're a veteran? From_ the_ war? As in The World vs. Superjail? The mother of all wars where every country banded together to take out Superjail? How the fuck did you survive?" she asked in complete awe.

"Yeah, that war," he stated gruffly after a pause. It was obvious that he didn't want to speak of such matters, so Sarah decided to drop it.

A moment of silence fell and Sarah took this time to process the horror that had truly befallen her. Her friends and family were all dead. She was alone with a man that was probably going to abandon her later, for obvious reasons. Although she was fast, she had no experience with weapons and wasn't that strong. She would be totally useless in the outside world that was now filled with bullets and carnage. Totally lost, Sarah began sobbing. Her head fell into her dirtied and blood-encrusted hands, tears smudging against the crimson. Ace just watched with a look of sympathy in the silence, letting her get out all her grief, sorrow and anger. Finally, her sobs diminished into light hiccups and sniffles as she looked back up to Ace. He was startled by the look of determination and utter hatred that had crossed her face.

"The Warden needs to be stopped," she hissed as she clenched her hands into fists, standing from the cold and numbing floor.

Ace stared her down, his face void of emotion as he too rose from the cracked and tiled floor. "We better get started then."

"...What?"

"Well ya sure as hell can't go out there without knowing a thing or two about the battle field. And with your flimsy form, it's gonna take a bit of trainin'."

"Hey!" she frowned.

"Just speaking the truth, kid. Now, lets find a way out o' this city."

"Right behind you, old man."

"...Don't call me that."

An hour or two later, after shifting through lockers and random piles of garbage, Ace managed to find her some decent new clothes that she could change into. Shuffling into the room adjacent to them, she softly closed the marred door. She groaned softly as she slowly peeled the clothes from her body, her muscles and joints aching while doing so. After a couple of minutes, Sarah emerged from the room in a clean pair of black worn-out shorts, a white tank-top and Converses before stopping to peek into a nearby mirror that had a light film of dust covering it. She swept her hand across it, revealing her disheveled hair and beaten and swollen face.

"Ugh...I look horrible. I can't wait until I can take a damn shower." She grimaced at her reflection, feeling dirty from the lack of hygiene and the fact that she was currently wearing someone else's clothes.

"Suck it up, little lady. I've lasted days without a shower, now hurry up, 'cus we've got a long way to go," called Ace. She followed after him, mumbling about how men didn't know anything about bodily maintenance.

She caught up next to him as they exited the building. Suddenly, she ceased all movement as her joints froze in place. A chill slithered up her spine before burrowing itself deep within the marrow of her bones. They were everywhere. Written on banners, signs and splattered sharply on walls, were her initials.

SJ

Never had she hated her name as much as she did now. How could she have been so oblivious to the fact that the very entity that was destroying her life in essence bore her name? Why did she have to be Sarah Jennings? Any other name, even a middle name would do, if she had one. Why did it have to be her?

But then it hit her—why she had survived amongst all her friends and family, why she had escaped The Warden's wrath—she and her forces alone had to destroy Superjail. She didn't arbitrarily possess those initials; they were obviously bestowed upon her because only she had the power to counteract The Warden. For every force, there is an equal and opposite force—wasn't that a law of physics, a law of the universe? It was, and she intended to fulfill its principle.

"Ya alright, kid?" Ace's gruff voice broke her train of thought, as he placed a calloused hand on her shoulder. His brows furrowed in concern at her abrupt stop.

"...Yeah." She breathed lightly, casting one more glance at a swaying flag of violet with her initials splayed across it in gold.

**A/N: Well in case any of you were wondering, the reason the Warden was laughing his ass off back in the first chapter, was indeed because her initials were SJ. Which will play interesting part later, when the Warden slowly begins to unfold his twisted plan. One, which will be of the darkest kind...Anyway, this concludes another chapter of World by the Heartstrings!**

**Please leave a review, they feed my plot bunnies! :) And they get my creative juices flowing. **

**A HUGE thanks to my best friend and muse Sydney. **


	3. Tougher than Manicured Nails

World by the Heartstrings

Chapter 3: Tougher than Manicured Nails

It had been a couple of hours since they started walking; the sun was beginning to set as the sky came alight with various hues of oranges, yellows, pinks, and reds. The dark clouds of ash and smoke dispersed as the sun seemed to beam at them victoriously. Ever so slowly fading into the horizon, the sun retired into the night. One by one, stars appeared to dot the sky as they each peeked out beneath the dark, opaque blanket of dusk. Only the stars and moon were there to guide the duo. The moon was oddly bigger on that night; full and round like an expectant mother as it broadcasted a silvery light of comfort. It gave off a certain warmth and was tinged an odd shade of yellow. The coloring was almost sallow like that of decaying blood.

Sarah scratched at the dried blood atop her head, flakes of burgundy fluttering off her scalp as she entangled her fingers in her ebony hair. She released a groan of disgust as she wrinkled her nose from her lack of cleanliness. Crossing her arms over her chest, she continued to follow Ace throughout the city.

Sarah hopped over a stray tree branch, almost tripping while doing so before catching her footing. "Can we please make a pit stop so I can shower? I mean, don't we need to collect some essentials? We barely have any food anyway..."

Ace shifted the black, faded duffel bag that hung over his shoulder. "Yeah, we will in a 'lil bit. Lets just walk a bit further, we're almost out 'o here."

They trekked onward with Sarah tripping several times over scattered bodies and limbs from the lack of light. After a moment of silence, Ace cut through the calming silence with his strict tone of voice. "Listen, kid. There's something we need to discuss before we get too in over our heads about all this business with SuperJail."

Sarah bobbed her head in response as she peeked at him from the corner of her eye. "I'm listening..."

"You see, kid. I'm pretty old..." he started

"No shit," she snickered softly.

"Hush up, and let me finish 'lil lady. As I was saying, I'm old and I'm not in as good a shape as I used to be in my youth. So there's a chance...I might not make it out of this whole ordeal alive." A nauseatingly loud crack emitted from his neck as he craned it upward. "Ya might end up all alone in this fight, so I need you to be strong. If you're serious about taking out the Warden, ya can't let your emotions compromise you. I know it hasn't been long, but on the battlefield there is no room for weakness. Yer gonna have ta move on, don't look back on the past and move forward. It'll only hold you back..." He sighed as his milky white eye met her gaze.

"So in short...suck it up?" Sarah rasped quietly.

"I know it sounds cold, but-"

"It's okay. I understand...but that doesn't mean I have to forget my family and friends, right?" she whimpered softly.

"Of course not!" he crowed. "If anything, let those happy memories of yer loved ones fuel ya; let them be your strength to continue on."

"Yeah, I guess you're right..." She smiled lightly as she shuffled a couple of feet ahead of him before coming to a stop at the last house that indicated they were at the very end of the city. Ace smiled at the look of anticipation that crossed her face as her eyes flickered to him eagerly.

"Well...what the hell are ya waiting for you. Go on in."

Sarah bolted off into the house, the door kicked from its hinges from a previous forced entry. Tables were overturned, windows were shattered and splayed across the floors, walls were knocked in and accompanied by obscene messages written in blood, to which she attempted to ignore with a disgusted cringe. She searched the house thoroughly before letting out a giddy shriek. She had succeeding in finding the bathroom. She searched through cabinets and pantries before finally finding a bottle of shampoo and conditioner as well as some body soap.

She hopped into the shower and let out a pleased sigh, her aching body instantly becoming relaxed from the heat of the water. She lathered her hair with soap, massaging her scalp as the suds gave her a tingly sensation on her skin. As she rinsed and cleansed her body she was sure to slowly and gently clean around her wounds. Fortunately for Sarah, the gash on her sternum was healing up nicely, and was a healthy pink rather than a harsh red. She let a small hiss escape her lips as the raw skin on her knees stung and throbbed in waves. However, the bruises on her body were slowly fading and receding into her natural skin tone.

Ten minutes later, Sarah's wound was bound with a crisp, white bandage and then she put on her previous clothes. She emerged from the bathroom, steam flooding around her ankles and covering the walls in a thick mist. She walked languidly as she made her way back down stairs, drying hair with a white, fluffy towel while doing so.

"Hey, I knew there was a pretty face somewhere under all that crap."

"Shut up!" she snapped as her face flushed a light pink before ripping the towel from her hair. Her slightly untidy hair was now much cleaner, rid of all the debris and blood that had infested it. It slipped down to the small of her back in thick waves, curling at the ends on the way down. Bangs fell in to frame her face, brushing against her cheekbones. Her eyes stood out much more now that her face was no longer masked with soot and dirt. They were a deep brown, tinged red, the lighting of the room making it look as if rubies were embedded in her eye sockets.

"Now all we need is to thin ya out and ya just might be considered good looking." He teased as he pinched at some of the fat on her belly, to which she responded with a hard slap to his hand.

"Touch me again and I will set you on fire!" she growled menacingly, a frown tugging on her lips.

Ace roared with laughter. "Good! Use some of that fiery temper of yers during training!" His shoulder shuddered with an amused look on his face as he continued to stuff any food left the kitchen.

Their playful banter continued in the kitchen, and while unbeknownst to them, the screen of the television in the living room began to flicker. A vibrant, red light flashed atop the T.V. as a small panel moved aside to reveal a tiny camera. Suddenly, the television switched on. It displayed both Sarah and Ace, recording their movements and comments to scan them for their identification. The camera zoomed in on Ace, analyzing every rugged facial feature as well as his voice. The video switched off as bold, neon green words flickered across the screen.

_**Scanning...**_

_**Retrieving Data...**_

**TARGET ACQUIRED: ACE VANDERHIDE- Ex-SuperJail soldier, USA war veteran, worked as double agent for United Nations. Wanted for insubordination and for attempted murder of The Warden of SuperJail.**

The camera then zeroed in on Sarah, seeming to process her profile much slower than Ace's.

_**Scanning...**_

_**Retrieving Data...**_

**ERROR: SARAH JENNINGS- Deceased **

A question mark presented itself on the screen, as if the TV wanted to convey that it was confused. An emoticon of a frown face appeared on the screen as it beeped and trilled in frustration. More words showed up on the screen as the emoticon faded out.

_**Sending Camera Feed...**_

_**Connecting...**_

_"This better be good, Jailbot. You've interrupted my daily torture routine__,__" __c__alled a cynical voice, slick with dark intent._

**A/N: And so ends the third chapter of** _World by the Heartstrings._ **Please read and review, I would love some feedback from my lovely readers! Once again, another HUGE thank you to my editor and muse Sydney. I wouldn't have been able to put this up without you! 3**

**P.S. Reviews are the fertilizer that keep my imagination growing and stops it from withering and dying out.**


	4. Chapter 4

World by the Heartstrings

Chapter 4: A Machine is Only as Strong as the Man Who Made It

The apples of Sarah's cheeks began to ache slightly because of the large grin that relentlessly tugged at her mouth, an effect of Ace's comical stories of the days of his youth. Another genuine giggle bubbled up through her esophagus, accompanied by a husky and rough chortle from the burly man sitting opposite her. She could tell that he was trying his best to make her feel better, and his efforts were not wasted. The muscles within her abdomen became knotted in protest of all her giddy laughter. She hadn't laughed like that in what felt like ages.

"I swear, it was the perfect plan!" he snickered. "Poor boy didn't even see it comin'."

Sarah's shoulders shuttered as more carefree laughter emerged from her lips. "I never knew you could concoct such a thing from only guinea pigs, Jell-O and toothpicks!" She giggled, her eyes glinting with mirth.

Her amusement was cut short when a hushed, chilled tone tinted with malice slipped into her ears. It licked at her eardrums and glazed them with barbaric promises and harsh punishments. It moved fluidly into her brain like water, drowning her psyche and numbing her senses with flashes of liquid-gold glasses and breached porcelain teeth peeking out behind a wicked smile. A tremor raced down her spine and seeped into her femur and tibia, forcing her to her feet.

"Uh...everythin' alrigh' munchkin?" Ace inquired as he brought the golden brown beer bottle to his lips to take a sip before setting it back down gently. For a second his tongue darted out to gather the leftover bitter drops that were caught on his bottom lip before gazing at her with concerned eyes.

She grinned a fox-like grin. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thought I heard something. I guess my mind's just messing around with me." She waved him off carelessly. "I'm just going to stretch my legs for a bit, I've been feeling a little bit antsy lately..." Sarah was quickly returning to her normal self, for which she was grateful. She needed to recover her spirits if she wanted to stave off the recent apocalypse that had sheathed the world in gore and left a scent of rotten earth that twisted about the air. Ace responded with a shrug before indulging himself with another sip of beer.

She slowly walked around the corner and exited the kitchen, but halted shortly after, the light from the television across from her having illuminated her rapidly paling face. The Warden wore a look of disinterest and boredom, his lips pulled into a childish pout. His facial expression did nothing to mask the madness that was evident in his ebony eyes, which were concealed slightly by his honey-hued glasses.

_"Daddy's quite busy right now, Jailbot. Now, what is it?"_ he scowled, coiling his long, leather clad fingers into a fist before slamming them into the arm of his metallic chair, clearly expressing that his patience was quickly thinning. The TV simply beeped and trilled softly as it directed the camera in Sarah's direction to reveal her existence. She stood with her lips parted in a small gape as she continued to stare. His stare fixated upon her form, which made her skin prickle with repulsion. His gaze promptly turned from one of disinterest to one of fascination. His lips immediately transfigured into a malevolent, almost poisonous smile.

_"You still live? Interesting...I was so sure that I had left your for dead,"_ he murmured lowly, threading his fingers together before resting them underneath his chin. He smirked haughtily and let out a deep chuckle, amusement clearly laced throughout it. _"Now, now. I know full well that I'm ridiculously good looking, but your staring is making me blush!"_ the Warden squealed, much like a woman would if embarrassed.

It was then that Sarah noticed that her mouth had been agape. She quickly clamped her jaw shut, her teeth greeting each other with a small 'click.' Her lips pulled back into a snarl as her iris' darkened to a venetian red in agitation. "Don't flatter yourself!" she barked.

This only seemed to amuse The Warden further because he hurled himself ungracefully closer to the camera, his whole face now occupying the screen. _"Oh, my! Am I making you angry...Sarah, was it? Well Sarah, you are by far one of the most interesting people I have come across in a while." _ He threw himself back against his chair, making it rock slightly. He propped his head up with his fist, his elbow resting on the arm of the chair casually. _"Well I enjoyed our little meeting, Sarah but alas...I have to kill you now. I mean, I can't have my reputation soiled by having you still breathing!"_ An unnervingly sinister smile jerked at his lips.

Sarah glowered at him, courage that she thought had been lost long ago churning in her gut. She took a defiant step forward to challenge The Warden's statement as a smirk twisted her lips and a growl ripped through her throat."I don't think you need my help to soil your reputation!"

His grin simply grew wider, looking as if it would split his face in two._ "I'm afraid this is goodbye, Sarah...Oh! And before I forget...Jailbot, be a good boy and kill that Ace Vanderhide, hmm? He's been on my shit list for a while, might as well bludgeon two birds with one stone!"_

Sarah retreated back a step, her body tensing as a slight panic tickled her chest. Her breathing was slightly constricted by the bandages wrapped around her torso. The only thing she could wonder was, How the hell had Ace not heard all this going on? She was only a couple of feet out of the kitchen for Christ sake!"

_"Play nice, Jailbot!" _With that, the screen blacked out and the familiar smiley face emoticon took its place in the center once again. It regarded Sarah with a somewhat cheerful expression before darkening to a much more sinister look. Pixilated eyebrows appeared above Jailbot's acidic, green-dotted eyes. The added feature gave it a much more evil appearance and no longer made the machine's smile look chipper. It just made it look downright vicious.

Sarah stumbled back in awe as the television unfolded, white panels extending and sliding along to rearrange themselves into a new shape, one much larger than the form Jailbot had taken. Any excess panel that was sticking out folded in on itself into a rigid box shape with sharp angles. The screen was placed atop the robot as if it were its head and hovered above the ground, suspended by some unseen force. Six metallic tendrils, each with penetrative pincers, emerged on it's sides. There were three lined up vertically on either side, snapping at her threateningly.

Sarah let out a soft snort. "What? Is that all you've got?" Jailbot gave a small warble as his green pixilated expression frowned, transforming from green to a cherry red as it beeped in anger. Panels slid out of the way to welcome a multitude of missiles, machine guns and even some crossbows.

"Oh shit."

Sarah let out a small squeak before scrambling out of the way of vibrant lasers that were targeted at her small frame. "Ace!" she shrieked as she dashed into the kitchen, the house thundering and shaking from bullets and explosions. No wonder Ace hadn't come out to help, considering the kitchen was empty of one old ass veteran. "Mother fucker...he left me!" she rasped as she forced herself against the dusty kitchen wall. Brown clouds of dirt and debris flowed into her airways from the detonations of weapons. She lurched forward as a violent cough was ripped from her throat after her attempt at trying to stifle it.

There was a brief silence. Her ears still rang slightly as her body pulsed in unison with her rapid heartbeat. Sarah tried to control her breathing, only exhaling in soft and silent puffs of air. She heard a faint hum and strained her hearing, pressing her ear up against the wall adjacent to her. Sarah listened intently. A whirring sound was being emitted from an unknown source, seeming to get louder and louder every second.

"What...?" Her eyes became wild and frantic as she came to a conclusion and threw herself as far as she could to put as much distance as possible between her person and the wall. A split second later, the wall shattered as if made of glass and the bulky, white form of Jailbot now floated among the dispersing debris and toxic dust. Her torso was illuminated in bright red before Jailbot launched a missile the size of a football at her. Yelping loudly, she ran out of the kitchen and rounded the corner. To her dismay, it was still following her with a soft whistle as it cut through the air like a blade.

"'Heating seeking'? Fuckin' A!" she screeched. Her legs began to prickle with exhaustion. Her eyes narrowed and her thoughts buzzed with activity before she smirked like the cat that ate the canary. Sarah quickly made a sharp left and jumped through a jagged hole in a wall, courtesy of Jailbot, with the missile still on her tail. She rounded another corner, and entered through the opposite end of the kitchen, her feet thundering against the smooth marble floors as she made her way toward Jailbot. Jailbot took notice of her change in position and turned to face her with a high pitched shriek. Its expression altered from happy to disappointed, obviously hoping for her demise.

However, once Jailbot took notice of the projectile that was mimicking her every move, the robot's face assumed a flashing red exclamation point display in panic. Jailbot couldn't move quickly enough as Sarah vaulted over the machine, causing the missile to clash with the distressed robot. Sarah was sure to dive out of the way as a blaring and heated explosion commenced. Smoke gathered in thick clouds of gray as the scent of burnt metal took hostage of her nose. She coughed into the crook of her arm. The smoke burned her lungs and throat in thick heated waves. Slowly she made her way out of the now demolished house, her face smudged with dust and ash. The toxic clouds began to fade and part, revealing a ruined Jailbot. His porcelain metal was stained a coal black, varying in darkness on different parts of its body. Some of its metallic limbs hung limply at its side while others were bent oddly and broken. Sparks spewed out from holes and abrasions that littered its body. A diverse amount of wires jutted out from tears and the graying metal withered. A spider web of cracks and splintered glass enveloped its screen as a gloomy frown flickered. Jailbot released a soft whine, whimpering as it retreated and flew off, most likely to return to its master.

"Holy… crap..." she breathed, as she hunched over and gripped at her knees, exhaling in ragged gasps. "If I ever see Ace again, I'm gonna—" Sarah let out a surprised yelp as she was hoisted into the air and crushed against a massive chest.

"Haha! I knew ya could do it! Ya definitely pass!" yowled a grinning Ace.

Sarah pushed out of his suffocating embrace. "What the hell, old man? You left me! I could have died!"

"Ah, but ya didn't. I knew Jailbot was there, jus' wanted to see what I'd be workin' with," he responded as he slapped her on the back. "If ya couldn't survive goin' toe-to-toe with Jailbot, chances are ya weren't gonna last long against anything else. So at least we know ya definitely have potential. Now I have a good idea as to where to start ya off on yer trainin, so I wouldn't say it was a complete waste."

"I'm not really sure how I'm supposed to respond to that, so I think I'm just gonna punch you in the face." And punch him in the face she did.

**A/N: Another chapter of **_World by the Heartstrings_** has come to an end. I would just be tickled pink if my dear readers would post a review, they mean a lot to me. 8D Now here's a little math problem for you!**

**Read + Review = One happy as hell Author who will bow to your every whim. EVERY. FREAKIN'.WHIM.**

**Letter to my Muse: **_I would have never been able to put this up without you, seriously. From your encouraging notes to your impeccable grammar, you have definitely helped me excel in my writing. Thanks for the brilliant title ideas and everything else. (Don't feel like giving you a list. To lazy)_


	5. Authors NoteAwesome News

Wow, been a long time hasn't it? I am aware that my absence can't be excused and for that I deeply apologize. But college can be a bitch, especially the very first year. However,I have some fantastic news. Your reviews have officially kick started my inspiration once again, my muse finally kicking my ass into gear. So I would just like to say thank you, and that the newest chapter of World by the Heartstrings shall be put up next weekend, taking the place of this Authors Note. Again, thank you for your reviews. Seriously, that shit is the life's blood of my imagination, keep 'em coming.


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